Tag: Royal Golf Club

South Carolina wins, four share medalist honors at 2023 Annika Intercollegiate

Four golfers shared medalist honors after a crazy finish in Minnesota.

LAKE ELMO, Minn. — Kiara Romero stood next to her coach, Derek Radley, on the side of the 18th green.

The freshman at Oregon just walked in a birdie putt on the final hole of her first college tournament. She had no idea where it put her on the leaderboard, but everyone else did.

It gave her a share of the lead.

Radley whispered to Romero that she had won. She threw her hands over her mouth as tears filled her eyes.

Romero was one of four who shared medalists honors Wednesday after the final round of the 2023 Annika Intercollegiate at Royal Golf Club. She, along with South Carolina’s Louise Rydqvist, Duke’s Phoebe Brinker and Florida State’s Lottie Woad all finished at 8-under 208 for the tournament, a grand start to the year at one of the deepest events in women’s college golf.

“I thought I was going to have to make an eagle on the last hole to get the win,” Romero said. “I just wanted to make birdie so I could be in the top three or something.”

However, the birdie was good enough to earn Romero, the 2023 U.S. Girls’ Junior champion, a college win in her first start.

It was also the first win for Rydqvist, a junior who had a 4-foot putt for birdie on 18 to win outright, but it slid by. Nevertheless, she’s not going home empty handed, as South Carolina won the team title at 26 under, beating Oregon by three strokes and defending event champion and national champion Wake Forest by four.

Rydqvist also earned a coveted exemption into the inaugural The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican taking place Nov. 6-12 at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida. One player from the winning team earned a spot in the field, and Gamecocks’ coach Kalen Anderson chose Rydqvist, from Sweden, for the honor.

2023 Annika Intercollegiate
South Carolina’s Louise Rydqvist earned an exemption to the 2023 The Annika after her team won the 2023 Annika Intercollegiate. (Photo: Ben Adelberg/The Back of the Range)

“I think I need a minute because it hasn’t sunk in yet,” Rydqvist said. “It feels absolutely incredible. I can’t wait to get down there.”

The Annika, an official LPGA event, will offer a $3.25 million purse, one of the largest outside of the majors. Proceeds from the tournament will benefit the Annika Foundation.

Each of the four medalists shot 2-under 70s in the final round. Wake Forest’s Mimi Rhodes and South Carolina’s Maylis Lamoure, who were the 36-hole leaders, both missed birdie putts on the final hole to join the winners and finished at even-par 72.

For Woad, a sophomore, it’s the third win of her collegiate career. Brinker, a senior, won for the second time, including a win at the 2022 ACC Championship. She finished fourth last year at the Annika Intercollegiate and lost in a playoff at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invite in the spring.

2023 Annika Intercollegiate
The four co-medalists of the 2023 Annika Intercollegiate, from L-R: South Carolina’s Louise Rydqvist, Duke’s Phoebe Brinker, Florida State’s Lottie Woad and Oregon’s Kiara Romero. (Photo: Ben Adelberg/The Back of the Range)

Meanwhile, South Carolina had a lead as big as 10 shots early in the final round, but it also shrunk to as small as one on the back nine. Two-time first-team All-American Hannah Darling and freshman Vairana Heck each made pivotal birdies down the stretch, as well as Rydqvist and Lamoure, to help South Carolina pull back away.

It’s the third time South Carolina has won the Annika Intercollegiate.

“It was awesome, what a great way to start the season,” Anderson said. “We had a really great qualifier, and it’s nice to see them come out and play great golf.”

Heck shot 4-under 68 on Wednesday, which tied the low round of the day, and finished T-9. Darling finished 17th at 3 under.

Thanks to a pair of 18th-hole eagles from Briana Chacon and Minori Nagano, Oregon moved into second place past defending champ Wake Forest. Freshman Macy Pate finished T-9 at 6 under for the Demon Deacons while Carol Chacarra tied for 15th at 5 under.

Chacon, Lamoure, Rhodes and Texas freshman Farah O’Keefe finished runner-up at 7 under.

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Why this four-time Wake Forest All-American chose to come back for a fifth year

“I feel like another year of maturing and letting my game develop, I figured it could only do me some good.”

LAKE ELMO, Minn. — When reading Rachel Kuehn’s roster page on the Wake Forest website, it’s easy to get lost in the myriad accolades listed while scrolling.

A four-time All-America selection. Two-time Curtis Cup member. Four times on the Arnold Palmer Cup team. A national champion.

The resume is that of the greatest player in Wake Forest history. It’s a resume that’s on par with many of the best college golfers in the history of the sport.

Yet, even after four successful years representing the Demon Deacons, Kuehn is back as a graduate student for her fifth season. She began her season in Minnesota this week in the Annika Intercollegiate at Royal Golf Club.

She had opportunities to turn professional. Instead, she’s lugging her Wake Forest bag around and playing team golf one final season.

“I’ve just improved so much in my four years, I felt like it was a no-brainer coming back,” Kuehn said. “Professional golf is always going to be there. You get such a limited amount of time to play college golf and to play on a team like this. I love the girls, I love my coaches. My facilities at Wake are incredible. So I feel like another year of maturing and letting my game develop, I figured it could only do me some good.”

Last year, Kuehn became the sixth women’s golfer to be named the ACC Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons. She also set a program record for the lowest single-season scoring average in program history with a 70.53 average over 36 rounds played. She also won twice and went undefeated in match play at the NCAA Championship.

2023 NCAA Championship
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons celebrate with the trophy after winning the NCAA women’s Golf Championships at Grayhawk Golf Club on May 24, 2023, in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Even after playing lights out at Grayhawk Golf Club in May, there was never a question on Kuehn decision’s to come back.

“It was right after COVID hit,” Wake Forest coach Kim Lewellen said of Kuehn’s decision. “I asked her whether she would want to come back for a fifth year, and I think it took her about half a day.

“It’s outstanding to have Rachel back for so many reasons. She’s a leader. She’s you know, she just loves Wake Forest and she brings that energy for all of us.”

Heading into the final round of the Annika Intercollegiate, Wake Forest, the defending event champion, sits second at 18 under, three strokes behind South Carolina. Although Kuehn didn’t have the start to the season she wanted – she’s even-par after 36 holes – her leadership abilities are unquestioned.

Kuehn stood in the rain at the end of the round and went and welcomed each of her teammates who finished behind her and brought their bags from the green to the clubhouse. She prides herself on leading by example in every facet.

There’s a long season ahead between now and the NCAA Championship at Omni La Costa in Carlsbad, California, come May, but Kuehn is eager for her last ride in college golf.

“I just want to use this year as a personal growth year in order to kind of get myself ready to turn professional next fall,” Kuehn said.

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South Carolina in front, packed individual leaderboard among takeaways from second round of Annika Intercollegiate

Wednesday’s final round is shaping up to be spectacular.

LAKE ELMO, Minn. — The day started under cloudy skies and ended in light rain, but there was plenty of sunshine in between at Royal Golf Club on Tuesday during the second round of the Annika Intercollegiate.

One of the premier women’s college golf events on the calendar, the field at the Annika Intercollegiate is loaded. Defending national champion Wake Forest is also the defending tournament champion, and the Demon Deacons creeped closer to South Carolina after the second round. The Gamecocks remain in front after 36 holes.

Meanwhile, the race for the individual title is tight. There are nine players at or within two shots of the lead, meaning the title is up for grabs come Wednesday.

Here’s everything you need to know from the second round of the Annika Intercollegiate.

U.S. Girls’ Junior champ Kiara Romero starts college career off hot at Annika Intercollegiate

Kiara Romero had a stellar start to her college career

LAKE ELMO, Minn. — On Sunday, Oregon women’s golf coach Derek Radley had a conversation with Kiara Romero before the start of her collegiate career.

Romero, who won the U.S. Girls’ Junior this summer in Colorado and advanced to match play at the U.S. Women’s Amateur in California, has had success at numerous stages in her junior career. Radley told her she didn’t need to do anything different to replicate that at the college level.

Safe to say the talk paid off.

The freshman shot 5-under 67 on Monday at Royal Golf Club in the opening round of the 2023 Annika Intercollegiate and is tied for second. The tournament is one of the best in the country all season long, but in her first collegiate round, Romero stood out and finished strong, making birdies on three of her final four holes.

“I think when players move to the next level, they feel like they have to do something extra special,” Radley said. “I told her to just go be an athlete because she’s just so gifted.”

Kiara Romero
Oregon’s Kiara Romero at the 2023 Annika Intercollegiate. (Photo: Ben Adelberg/The Back of the Range)

Romero posted five birdies and no bogeys on a course that numerous players took advantage of. She is tied with San Jose State junior Lucia Lopez Ortega and South Carolina freshman Maylis Lamoure. South Carolina junior Louise Rydqvist birdied her final three holes to shoot 6-under 66. She holds the solo lead.

“(The U.S. Girls’ Junior) showed me I can compete and win against these girls,” Romero said. “Everything was pretty smooth out there today.”

Lopez Ortega’s round started incredibly with a hole-out eagle on the par-4 11th, her second hole of the round. She had 133 yards, to the hole and hit from the rough, up over trees, the ball landing on the right side of the green before funneling into the cup.

“I didn’t see it go in,” she said while laughing, “but it’s pretty nice.”

Last year’s individual champion, Virginia junior Amanda Sambach, shot 2-under 70 in her title defense.

However, it’s South Carolina in front in the team competition and with the leading individual. The Gamecocks shot 15 under and lead Wake Forest and San Jose State by four shots after the opening round.

Hannah Darling
South Carolina’s Hannah Darling at the 2023 Annika Intercollegiate. (Photo: Ben Adelberg/The Back of the Range)

“It’s definitely gettable out here,” South Carolina coach Kalen Anderson said. “We’ve got some long hitters, and the par 5s are pretty gettable for us.”

Lamoure shot 5-under 67 and Vairana Heck added a 3-under 69. Two-time first-team All-American Hannah Darling was the other counting score at 1 under for Anderson’s squad.

Wake Forest, the defending national champions and last year’s Annika Intercollegiate winners, is in great position after the first round. The Demon Deacons shot 9 under in the opening round, with Mimi Rhodes and Brooke Rivers each shooting 4 under.

LPGA exemption for inaugural The Annika on the line at 2023 Annika Intercollegiate in Minnesota

There’s going to be a lot on the line at the Annika Intercollegiate.

Come the beginning of the 2023-24 college golf season, there’s going to be a lot on the line at the Annika Intercollegiate.

Held at Royal Golf Club in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, the Annika Intercollegiate has quickly grown to be one of the premier women’s college golf events in the country. And this year, the stakes are even higher.

An LPGA tournament exemption to be awarded to a player from this year’s winning team. The exemption will allow one player to compete in the inaugural The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican taking place Nov. 6-12 at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida.

The Annika, an official LPGA event, will offer a $3.25 million purse, one of the largest outside of the majors. Proceeds from the tournament will benefit the Annika Foundation.

The 2023 Annika Intercollegiate presented by 3M takes place Sept. 10-13. This year’s tournament will see 12 top NCAA Division I women’s golf programs compete in a 54-hole, stroke-play event, including defending champions Wake Forest. 

“This is one of the tournaments I look forward to most each year,” Annika Sorenstam said in a release. “It allows the Annika Foundation to advance its mission by providing an opportunity for talented golfers to compete and make connections. We are thrilled to raise the stakes this year by extending the winning team an LPGA tournament exemption, further cementing our event as a launch pad for the nation’s top programs and players.”

Other teams in the field include Duke, Florida State, Minnesota, Mississippi State, San Jose State, Oregon, Texas, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Virginia. The final team will be announced after the 2023 NCAA Championships.

Virginia sophomore Amanda Sambach won the individual title in the fall.

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‘Fun to be a part of it’: Why Annika Sorenstam makes a point to attend ANNIKA Intercollegiate in Minnesota

“This is one of our bigger events.”

LAKE ELMO, Minn. – Annika Sorenstam took a back seat to the action happening in front of her.

Sorenstam and her husband, Mike McGee, were perched on a hill looking over the 18th green and down the fairway at Royal Golf Club outside of Minneapolis. Occasionally, spectators would notice Sorenstam was sitting there and ask for a picture or say hello, but when she wasn’t entertaining her fans, she was intently watching the golf in front of her.

Sorenstam was in town for the annual ANNIKA Intercollegiate, a college tournament her foundation started in 2014 that features some of the top women’s college golf teams across the country. Wake Forest captured the team title on a windy Wednesday afternoon while Virginia sophomore Amanda Sambach won the individual crown. Yet for the tournament’s namesake, it’s yet another event where she gives back to the golfing community.

“This tournament has grown very consistently and been really solid every team,” Sorenstam said. “Just look at the teams. the reception is so good. The coaches are so thankful, and I get to know the players more and more every year.

“This is one of our bigger events.”

ANNIKA Intercollegiate: Scores

That’s why it’s important for Sorenstam to come to Minnesota every year in one of the premier women’s golf tournaments on the schedule. It also happens at Royal Golf Club, which is a course she and the late Arnold Palmer co-designed. It’s Palmer’s last design before his death and Sorenstam’s first in the United States.

Players and coaches alike recognize the significance of Sorenstam being present, too.

“Annika is literally the greatest of all time, so it’s really awesome just to be at a site where I know she’ll be,” Sambach said. “She’s such an inspiration.”

Soremstam arrived in Minnesota on Tuesday, and she threw out the first pitch at the Minnesota Twins’ game that night. Then she spent all of the final round Wednesday at Royal Golf Club, interacting with players, coaches and spectators.

The ANNIKA Intercollegiate is just one of the numerous events hosts not only in Minnesota but also across the country. She hosts the ANNIKA Invitational early in the year, which is recognized as one of the top junior events in the country. She’s also active with numerous clinics, including her “Share my Passion” series that she does at stops on the PGA and LPGA tours.

On Tuesday, Sorenstam also announced plans for a future LPGA event in Tampa Bay.

2022 ANNIKA Intercollegiate

She makes an effort to attend most of her events and clinics, and Sorenstam is always making time to interact with the attendees and competitors. Yet the ANNIKA Intercollegiate is really special because of its location and it’s an opportunity to watch players she has seen grow up playing her events.

“We see them make the transition and in every phase of their golf life,” Sorenstam said. “Just to follow women’s golf and you look at them, it’s really cool to be associated. These are role models and ambassadors. They represent the game very well. It’s fun to be a part of it.”

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Wake Forest captures 2022 ANNIKA Intercollegiate with late birdie barrage; Virginia’s Amanda Sambach wins individual title

It’s Wake Forest’s second win at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate.

LAKE ELMO, Minn. – There was a constant theme at Royal Golf Club outside of Minneapolis all week during the 2022 ANNIKA Intercollegiate.

Survive the front nine, attack the back nine. And that’s what the Wake Forest women’s golf team did.

The No. 3 Demon Deacons trailed by six shots entering the final round, but they dominated both sides of the golf course and finished strong with a late birdie barrage to capture the ANNIKA Intercollegiate on a windy afternoon outside Minneapolis. Wake Forest had contributions from every member of its lineup, finishing at 6-under 858 for the week, but Wednesday’s 3-under 285 was enough to propel the Demon Deacons to their second ANNIKA Intercollegiate title, the first coming in 2019.

“You’re always comfortable when you have a lead, but we’ve got a bunch of really good teams here, so we just had to stick to the game plan,” Wake Forest coach Kim Lewellen said. “We’ve got a lot of veterans, and they’re used to being in this position.”

ANNIKA Intercollegiate: Scores

Rachel Kuehn helped cap the victory for Wake Forest. She birdied her final three holes, finishing at 1 under for the day and even-par 216 for the tournament, which was a tie for 10th. Lauren Walsh also birdied the closing par-5, and she finished in a tie for second at 7-under 209.

Emilia Migliaccio shot a 2-over 74 on Wednesday but finished in a tie for 10th, as well. Carolina Lopez-Chacarra was 4 under on the front nine and finished at 2 under and tied for 19th in the tournament.

The group effort culminated in Wake Forest’s first win of the season

“Now we will continue to learn and continue to get better,” Lewellen said. “It’s a cliche and you hear it a lot but these players are good and but they’re always striving to be better. So I think if we just stick with trying to get better each day, enjoy this victory, but get back to work tomorrow.

For a short while, Texas tied Wake Forest for the team lead at 2 under, when Bohyun Park got up and down from a greenside bunker for birdie on 18. Park finished tied with Walsh for second, and Texas ended in second as a team at 2-under 862.

Virginia, which led after the first two rounds, shot 8 over during the final round and finished in third, one shot behind the Longhorns. South Carolina and Duke finished in a tie for fourth at 1-over 855.

The Cavaliers aren’t going home empty handed, though. Sophomore Amanda Sambach went wire-to-wire and won her first collegiate tournament, finishing at 9-under 207. She was overcome with emotion when walking off the 18th green and into the trophy presentation, but the win was a culmination of perseverance and self-belief.

“It means everything,” Sambach said. “My game has come so far. I hadn’t seen much improvement over the past couple tournaments or years, and now I see all of my work finally pay off.”

Sambach shot 2 over in the final round, one she admitted was a grind. She had a one-shot lead when standing on the final tee box, but she chipped within two feet of the hole on the par-5 and had an easy birdie putt, her 15th of the week, tied with Walsh for the most among all players.

2022 ANNIKA Intercollegiate
Virginia’s Amanda Sambach with Annika Sorenstam after winning the 2022 ANNIKA Intercollegiate at the Royal Golf Club in Elmo, Minnesota. (Photo: Taylor Britton/ANNIKA Foundation)

Duke’s Phoebe Brinker had five birdies in the final round and shot 3-under 69, which tied for low round of the day. Brinker finished solo fourth and 6 under for the tournament. Florida’s Annabell Fuller also shot 3 under in the final round and tied for fifth with South Carolina’s Mathilde Claisse and Hannah Darling, who each shot 2-over 74 on Wednesday.

When Sambach drained the final putt, her teammates rushed the green and soaked her with water. Then, Annika Sorenstam, the tournament’s namesake, was there to congratulate her.

“It’s insane. First of all, just to win with a tournament that has her name on it, but to have her here in person is unbelievable,” Samback said. “She’s literally the GOAT.”

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Wake Forest, South Carolina make a move, but Virginia remains out front after second round of ANNIKA Intercollegiate

Virginia is looking to clinch the victory come Wednesday.

LAKE ELMO, Minn. – Lauren Walsh stepped to the tee knowing she had a special round going.

The senior for Wake Forest knew the closing stretch at Royal Golf Club outside of Minneapolis provided multiple birdie opportunities. A short par 4. Two par 5s. After birdieing five of her past six holes, Walsh had an opportunity to go even lower.

“I made bogey on 15, which was plenty frustrating,” Walsh said while cracking a smile, “and then I missed a short birdie putt on 16. so I was determined to birdie one of the last two.”

And she did just that, bringing a loud cheer from her three teammates sitting greenside.

Walsh fired a 6-under 66, tied for low round of the day, to help propel herself and Wake Forest up the leaderboard during Tuesday’s second round of the ANNIKA Intercollegiate. The Demon Deacons, third in Golfweek‘s preseason women’s college team rankings, moved up four spots to second on the team leaderboard after a 9-under performance but still trail Virginia heading to Wednesday’s final round. Walsh sits tied for second place at 5 under for the tournament, and Emilia Migliaccio shot 4 under on the day and moved up to 2 under overall.

ANNIKA Intercollegiate: Score

“Today gives us a lot of confidence moving forward,” Walsh said “We’ve all worked hard on our games over the summer at home. To come back together and see some good scores is always good.”

2022 ANNIKA Intercollegiate
The 2022-23 Wake Forest women’s golf team at the 2022 ANNIKA Intercollegiate. (Photo: Taylor Britton, ANNIKA Foundation)

Wake Forest at one point was in a three-way tie for first with Virginia and South Carolina, which won last season’s tournament. But the Demon Deacons teed off before the Cavaliers and Gamecocks, and there was plenty of leaderboard shuffling before the conclusion of the second round.

Royal Golf Club played almost two strokes easier during the second round Tuesday compared to the first round. The five most difficult holes come on the front nine through two rounds, according to Golfstat. Meanwhile, of the six holes playing under par, four come on the back nine, with three of the four being Nos. 15, 17 and 18.

Virginia finished strong, as it leads following the second straight round at 9 under, six strokes ahead of Wake Forest. Sophomore Amanda Sambach, who shot 7-under 65 in the first round, is at 11 under for the tournament after a second-round 4-under 68 that included birdies on three of her final four holes. She leads by six strokes in the individual competition.

“The team stayed really patient on the front,” Virginia coach Ria Scott said. “There’s a stretch of really challenging holes. They did a great job of sticking to what they were doing and waiting for the opportunities on the back.”

South Carolina fell back after holding the lead alone about halfway through the second round. Mathilde Claisse and Hannah Darling both moved into the top five on the leaderboard, as the duo are tied for second with Walsh. Claisse was 5 under on the day, and Darling tied Walsh for low round of the day at 6-under 66. The Gamecocks are at 2 under, one behind Wake Forest and seven behind Virginia.

Duke had a strong back nine and sits at even par, tied with Michigan for fourth. Phoebe Brinker had four birdies, including three straight, on the back nine and she’s tied for seventh on the leaderboard at 3 under. Freshman Andie Smith birdied six holes on her back nine and shot 3 under for the day.

Florida’s Maisie Filler also finished strong, making birdie on her final three holes to finish 5 under in the second round. Filler is at 3 under for the tournament, in a tie for seventh. Michigan’s Monet Chun and Texas’ Bohyun Park are tied for fifth at 4 under. Auburn’s Megan Schofill is tied for ninth with Migliaccio at 2 under, rounding out the top 10.

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